


Mopping Up The Butchers Floor (You Are Only Just Beginning)

by mihrsuri



Series: Hunger Games: Year One [2]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: 1st Hunger Games, Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, District 1, Female Character of Color, Gen, POV Female Character, Pre-Canon, horrible choices, i know what the capitol did but i do not want to write about it, offscreen retribution, the revolution will be long term
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 19:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3261818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mihrsuri/pseuds/mihrsuri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If she's going to have to do this she will make them pay, in the end. (Title from O'Children by Nick Cave)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mopping Up The Butchers Floor (You Are Only Just Beginning)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rocknlobster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocknlobster/gifts).



[](http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Melliyna17/media/alfred-angelo-disney-princess-wedding-dresses-belle-disney-princess-wedding-dresses-kirstie-kelly_zpsf96d5911.jpg.html)

Sapphire had always helped. She'd fetched food, passed information and made new clothing. The last most of all. District 1 focuses on fashion and culture - that is the kind of fashion, culture and traditions the Capitol thinks the districts have. It covers everything from jewels to weddings to food. Sapphire focuses on jewels, weddings and clothing. 

She has two scrapbooks. The second one is the real one - for the actual districts that has been written and illustrated with the people from those districts. It has grown and changed over the years, helped on by the people who pass through her home. The second scrapbook was made by her grandma - carefully bound and handmade. The covers are decorated by her father and the page makers are embroidered by her mother. There is love in every page in a way that the sleek, top of the line Capitol lookbook (made from the best of materials) can never be. 

Later on Sapphire creates weddings for the Capitol - historical and District based. Rustic ocean themes from District 4, 'native mountain beauty' from District 12 and 'farmhouse' from District 11. Her clients request 'District authenticity Sapphire darling' and Sapphire takes bitter satisfaction in knowing that they won't be getting the real rituals. She's twisted them just enough to make deniability plausible. 

But that's afterwards.

After the rebellion they don't kill her family. Or any of the families. Instead they tell them their children will kill each other ('to illustrate the savagery of the rebel leaders' the President says on the telecast). Sapphire is taken from District 1 to be a tribute (though they don't call it that, not then. This is before there was The Games. It was only meant to be killing). Her grandma braids her hair, before she goes and her parents have to be prised off her. And Sapphire cries and watches as the Capitol soldiers can't look at her and takes pride in it. Let them all see that they are sending children to kill children. Let them look. 

They don't kill each other though, that first games before there was a games. All of them, down to the very smallest, have already accepted what they could lose. They have seen (they think) the worst The Capitol can do and they refuse to take part. Instead they help each other - all of them. They share food, fire, hunting tips and blankets and make sure to behave with all the compassion the Capitol says they lack. 

And then, then afterwards they find out that they haven't seen the worst of what the Capitol can do after all. 

They make the survivors of the first games help to design the system. It is Sapphire who proposes the Career System (the Capitol tells her that not all the districts may adopt it - it will become another way to divide and conquer). She sells it as a 'better show, a better way' and feels sick but at least this way some of them will be prepared. They will be seventeen, they will be trained and they will be volunteers. The Capitol will have a glorious show - with costumes and cameras and slick hairstyles. And one day, one day, if Sapphire has done this the way she hopes? It will engineer their destruction.


End file.
